Taxing construction minerals: a contribution to a resource-efficient Europe

Bettina Bahn-Walkowiak (), Raimund Bleischwitz, Martin Distelkamp and Mark Meyer

Mineral Economics, 2012, vol. 25, issue 1, 29-43

Abstract: This paper focuses on market incentives by the introduction of a construction minerals tax as an example of a resource tax. Currently, various European countries levy taxes or duties on primary construction materials, but a harmonisation of the taxation is not planned. Provided the tax rate has a perceptible price effect, the taxation of a resource can foster a demand management or the reduction of the raw material consumption and the governance of side and secondary effects. A construction minerals tax can target the stimulation of demand for secondary raw materials and recycled products, and—because the reuse of construction and demolition waste has technical limits—a stronger emphasis on the conservation of buildings and infrastructures. This has positive effects on the environment and the innovation efforts and it helps to internalise externalities. Germany, used as a case study in this paper, does not raise any taxes on other raw materials than energy sources at the federal level. For this reason, potential impacts of the introduction of a construction minerals tax will be explored and the results of a simulation will be provided. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2012

Keywords: Environmental taxes, Resource management, Economic incentives for innovation and efficiency, Simulation, H23 (externalities; environmental taxes and subsidies), O32 (management of technological innovation and R&D), Q32 (exhaustible resources and economic development), Q38 (government policy), E27 (forecasting and simulation: models and applications), (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1007/s13563-012-0018-9

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